6 Self-Esteem Building Activities for Middle School Students

Middle school is a period of rapid change for preteens and teens. What they learn, how they behave and how they interact with others during these years can shape how they see themselves. Teachers have the opportunity to facilitate positive thinking and actions in their students, including building self-esteem, so teachers may want to prepare students in this respect as well as academically.

What is Self-Esteem?

This is a question that can be posed to a class at the beginning of a year. Most students know what the term means and can define it, but if asked to describe their own levels some might have more difficulty. Before performing activities directed toward building esteem, it might be a good idea to collect worksheets for students to describe themselves to their teacher. This gives teachers a foundational analysis of each student to assess and compare throughout the year.

For all intents and purposes, self-esteem is both a recognition of self-worth and a healthy love of the self. It is the ability to know the self and to take actions that preserve, improve and foster the self and one's relationships with others. This overlaps with self-awareness, one of the core skills in the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning (SEL).

Now, let's look at some things teachers can do in the classroom to help students feel more comfortable about who they are. These self-esteem activities are suitable for middle school students, but they could also work with students at any grade.

The six activities at a glance

The skill pairings are our reading of the CASEL framework, not an official CASEL mapping.

1. "I Am"

"I Am" is a classroom activity that works at all grade levels. It uses the affirmation technique: students are encouraged to think positively about what makes them who they are. The idea is that writing down positive thoughts reinforces them in students' minds.

To do the "I Am" activity, students will each need:

• A sheet of paper
• A pen or pencil
• Some magazines or stencils
• Scissors and glue

On the paper, students create a list of "I am" statements. Some examples include: "I am a hard worker." and "I am good at basketball." Each sentence must begin with "I am…" The student writes down as many positive attributes and qualities about themselves as they can think of.

Then students may decorate their list by adding magazine cutouts of things they like or by drawing. Students can keep these throughout the year, or students who choose to can display their lists in the classroom as a reminder to stay positive.

The American Psychological Association reported on a 2025 meta-analysis of 129 studies that found self-affirmation exercises produced small benefits for well-being. Most of the research involved college students, and the effect on self-perception was stronger for adults than for adolescents, so treat this as one helpful tool rather than a cure-all. Invite students to write statements they find believable, such as "I am a good friend," rather than statements that feel forced.

2. "We Are"

To counteract peer pressure, this is one of the many self-esteem activities for teenagers that can be used. A variation on the activity above, "We Are…", is completed as a group. Students find common ground and complete a list that shows what makes them alike. In CASEL terms, this practices relationship skills such as teamwork and resisting negative social pressure.

For example, a common answer will be "We are humans," but deeper probing might result in answers like "We are fans of [TV show]." or "We are each the middle child of our families." Finding commonalities may result in friendship, and like-minded people tend to lift each other up rather than put one another down.

3. Listing Traits

Another activity is "Listing Traits." It's fairly straightforward: students make a list of their positive character traits that make them a good friend, or a good sister or brother to their siblings. Ask them to describe, in detailed scenarios, why they fit those positive traits or titles, and to explain how these traits are important to them and to the people around them.

These can be added to a journal or written on a piece of paper. Before students write, explain who will see their work. Writing can stay between a student and the teacher unless an adult needs to act to keep a student safe, and sharing with the class is always the student's choice. The American School Counselor Association explains that safety, legal requirements and school policy can limit confidentiality, and that students should understand those limits. Check your own school's policy as well.

The idea is that by writing down or sharing something they have done for others, students may feel more positively about themselves and their behavior. They might discover something about themselves they had never thought of. This is also a helpful way for students to start thinking about what kind of person they want to be.

4. Flip

In the "Flip" activity, students make a list of their mistakes, failures and obstacles, and then "flip" each one so that it is positive. This gives students the opportunity to self-evaluate, solve problems and improve, which connects to the growth mindset and problem-solving skills in the CASEL framework.

For example, a student might list "I failed a math quiz." A way to flip this could be: "I will study harder to pass the next quiz" or "I will ask the teacher for help understanding the material on the last quiz."

A variation on this activity is for students who are comfortable sharing to join groups. Each group brainstorms ideas to help individuals flip the items they choose to share.

5. The Interview

"The Interview" pairs up students, who interview each other. They ask questions with the intention of getting to know the other person, such as "What is your favorite color?" or "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?"

At the end of the session, students "present" their partners to the class. Some teachers might hand out a list of diverse questions for students to use during the interviews. The idea behind this activity is to form bonds with one or more classmates from the start of the year, and it gives students practice communicating clearly and building positive relationships.

6. A Letter to Yourself

Writing letters to the self is an underrated, or perhaps outdated, activity. Students each write a letter to their future selves, covering whatever they wish: their life at the moment, a poem or their future goals. When students receive the letter back, they can compare and contrast themselves after a year of change.

Teachers may ask students to handwrite their letters and seal them in envelopes, to be handed back at the end of the year.

Tips for using these activities

• Explain before students write who will see their work and when an adult may need to act to keep a student safe, and keep any class sharing voluntary.
• Focus on effort and honesty rather than "correct" answers.
• Mix individual and group activities so quieter students have room to participate.
• Revisit the activities every few weeks so they become routine instead of a one-time event.
• Adapt the language and examples to your students' ages and backgrounds.

Frequently asked questions

How do these activities fit into social and emotional learning?

Each activity practices at least one CASEL skill, such as self-awareness or relationship skills. The table above shows which skill each activity practices.

What if a student doesn't believe the statements they write?

That is common. Invite students to write statements that feel believable, even if modest, such as "I am learning to speak up." Honest statements are more useful than ones that feel forced.

What if a student's response worries me?

Take any response that suggests distress, bullying or self-harm seriously. Follow your school's reporting procedures and involve your school counselor. Our guides on common student issues counselors support and helping students with anxiety disorders can add background, but they are not emergency guidance.

If a student is in immediate physical danger or has a medical emergency, contact emergency services first and follow your school's emergency procedures. For emotional distress or a mental health crisis, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day by call, text or chat.

Final Thoughts

Promoting self-esteem in the classroom can benefit all students. Activities like these can help students form connections with classmates and practice listening to others. Activities that focus on the individual's self-perception may foster self-reflection, which helps students evaluate their own actions and pinpoint attributes or habits they want to improve.